Break the Ice
by Ashry 42
Summary: "If you really want to know, I will help you." Canada x OC story. Full character background with a complete beginning and end.


_**Disclaimer**: I do not own Hetalia. It rightfully belongs to it's owner Hidekaz Himaruya. I am not trying to make profit out of it. Just practicing my writing skills with my favorite manga !_

_Also, my characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. _

_**Author's Note:** I will be diving deeply into the character's past before she meets Canada. _

* * *

The dreaded day had come: My school trip.

We were in the coach that would lead us to our destination. It will be a long ride. One part of the school trip I hated was the traveling part. I hated taking long ride buses because afterwards when we would get off my back and legs would kill me, especially on very long trips such as this one where we will have to sleep in the coach and I can't do that; I never could sleep during my travels, I don't know why. It's the same for airplanes; on night flights I don't sleep. I just can't. And it frustrates me even more when I see all the other passengers snoring their heads off, while I remain wide awake even though I'm exhausted.

Also, school trips are supposed to be fun, right? Well they are only "fun" if you have someone to spend it with. Unfortunately, that's something I don't have: friends.

I looked behind me and stretched myself as high as I could, gripping the top of my seat with my right hand and watched as the others talked, played, listened to music, laughed, just enjoying themselves… with someone else. There were no other people sitting alone. I was in the front of the bus, just behind the teachers, sitting by the window. I sighed and went back to leaning against my window, watching the unmoving scenery apathetically. We were waiting for everyone to board the bus. I felt the minutes pass by slowly, and felt like we would never leave.

But finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bus started up and we finally left for our long journey. As the bus rumbled on softly, I rested my head on my left hand and mused about how my loneliness came to be.

I think the turning point really started in primary school. It actually started out quite well. The first friend I had made at school was with my neighbor, Felina. For the first few weeks we were inseparable. Then one day Tena came into my life, and from that moment on, everything changed… for the worst. One day she started hanging out with us. I didn't mind; I was actually extremely glad at making new friend so fast in my first few weeks of school. Yet, it's amazing how one day can make a drastic difference… Suddenly, without warning, they abandoned me. They were so close to each other, you couldn't separate them. And I had become a burden. I went up to them like usual but that day when I went to see them they acted like enraged cats, hissing at me to leave them alone in peace, saying that they didn't want anything to do with me anymore. I was completely baffled and couldn't understand what had gotten into them all of a sudden, since it was something that had happened over night.

So there you have it, a friendship ruined in one day, for no apparent reason. I had asked them several times why they wouldn't talk to me, but they just avoided the question and either ignored me or told me to go away and leave them alone. But that wasn't all they did; they also made fun of me… a lot. I was enraged. I went to tell the teachers a few times but they disregarded me with a hint of scorn, saying that I wasn't a baby anymore and had to deal with my problems by myself. The fact that they didn't care one single bit that I was always alone made me even madder. But there was nothing I could do.

Then one day Tena had abandoned Felina too. Felina was confused and heartbroken that her very close friend would do such a thing. And now she didn't have any friends either because she had spent the whole time being isolated from everyone else with her "best friend" Tena. That's when Felina and I got closer again. Although of course we would never have a close and trusting friendship again. We still talk to each other, but it didn't go beyond the short conversations of "Hi, how are you?"

I would hang out with some others, but they weren't close enough to be called friends. They had their little community already formed; I was like a third wheel. So in the end, even though there were a few people I talked too who were nice enough, I never could get close to any of them, as if there were an invisible barrier. And from then on, that is how my life continued to be. There would be a few ups and downs, but in the end I had no real friends.

It was now time for my junior high years; the years that finished shaping up my already wreaked personality. The people of my primary school classmates ended up in the same junior high as I because it was close to our homes. That included Felina, although she was never in my classes again so I didn't see much of her. Cloe, one of the nice ones, and of course Tena. She wasn't going to leave me alone just yet. Although, even though I would see her she had no direct contact with me. She continued to make friend and then abandon them, but I had nothing to do with it. The only time it got kind of close was when she started hanging out with the ones who bullied me, but she herself did nothing. She was like a shadow of the ones she stayed with.

The first years were ok. By that I mean that even though some people bullied me, I had people I could talk too. Even though the range of people I talked broadened, I still didn't have friends. I was still a third wheel to their little community, which was already neatly arranged and could not add a new member, but it was actually just me they didn't want to add, since two years later they would add someone. The group was formed of a leader, called Nina and her "supporters": Cloe, Cecile, Adriana and Yoko who was actually very solitary and social at the same time; she would join the group only when she felt like it, and the rest of the time she jumped from person to person. I think she had friends in every class. The leader was one year older than me, Adriana was two years younger than me, Cecile and Cloe were my age, and in my third year of junior high another new member had arrived called Della who was one year younger than me.

The leader really hated me though. I could clearly see it when I would walk up to them to hang out; she would look at me with contempt ever time, and I found it amazing how the others managed to not see it. I don't know if they were doing it on purpose, or not, to ignore her disdain towards me. Her "supporters" were polite and nice to me but it didn't go father than that. When they had activities and I asked if I could join them, the leader would either downright reject me, or her supporters would say "not today" or "not now" in a quieter manner.

Cecile and Cloe were in my classes the first year of junior high. That is how I got to hang out with them from time to time, but still rarely. Then in the next year only Cecile was with me and already I felt myself gaining distance from them. I hung out with them less often. And on the final year neither Cloe nor Cecile were in my class. But one exceptional event changed things.

One day I learnt at school that they decided to make a movie. And some how they let me join them, which had surprised me a lot. Call it fate, destiny, divinity which ever. Once we had the story and characters ready, we talked about the places to shoot. It was a ghost story with a murder and we needed a dark spooky place. Nina said that we should go to her house, so we walked down the street towards her place. But I suggested that a cellar would be a good place to shoot so I suggested we go to my apartment. She tried to argue but couldn't say much since her apartment wasn't as big and didn't have a cellar. And for the very first time the others actually listened to what I had to say, which had surprised me a lot since I'm usually invisible. Honestly, I wasn't expecting them to listen to me, and we actually turned around and walked to my place!

The making of the movie got me closer to them, and for the first time I felt like I was really part of their group. Which drove Nina mad. Once the movie was finished I got "banished" from the group. They weren't allowed to talk to me anymore, and since her subordinates followed everything their leader said, I never saw them again. The making of the movie also coincided with the last year of junior high: the year where none of them were in my class.

Then high school started. And things got worse. I had bullies and no one I could confine to. Half of my class either bullied me or ignored me. Although most of the time it was Abigail and Megan who started the bullying, the others would just joined in because they found it fun. There was no one I could talk to. When they bullied me it wasn't physical bulling but that didn't mean it didn't hurt; They would insult me, steel my stuff, try to cut my hair, lock me outside the classroom when the teacher wasn't there. I would come crying back home almost everyday, yelling at how unjust the world was.

"Why does this happen to me?" I would cry aloud. "What did I ever do to them?"

That was my average school day. And to top it all; on my last year of high school we had a school trip. It was my worst nightmare seeing as I would have to be with them 24 hours a day. I had no way of escape. I couldn't shelter myself in my room and lock myself away from the world.

We had finally arrived to our destination. We would be put into families by groups of 3 and off course the teacher just had to put me with my bullies. She put me with Abigail and Megan. I cringed at that and told her I didn't want to go with them. But the teacher said I had no other choice, although she was still curious as to what made me avoid them and asked me why, but before I could answer the bullied instantly told the teacher that they would be nice to me. The teacher nodded and then turned to me and said: "See, you'll be in good hands."

_You wish. _I though. But kept quiet. Yet when we were with the families they completely ignored me. _Well, it's better than being bullied I guess._ I thought.

The next day we had a short tour guide of the place and then had a few hours of free time. Everyone jumped for joy when the teacher mentioned the words "free time"… except for me. I would once again be alone. But I didn't feel like wandering the streets because it was freezing. We just _had_ to come in winter. I just wanted to find a nice warm place to stay. I asked if I could stay in the bus but the teacher sternly refused, saying it was prohibited to stay in the bus if it wasn't for travel. Then she told me in a more cheerful voice to go and enjoy myself while I can, before walking away towards the other teachers.

"Easy for you to say." I muttered. I then noticed Abigail and Megan heading for a café and reluctantly decided to join them. You had to pay for something if you wanted to stay in a restaurant and since I had no money I though I might slip in with them casually. That way the restaurant wouldn't mind if I didn't buy anything, I hoped. I went up to them and asked if I could join them. For a split second I saw their surprise but it instantly disappeared, making me wonder if I had imagined it. Then Abigail grinned.

"Well, if it isn't the pipsqueak." She said. "I'm beginning to think you like our teasing."

"Of course not." I replied quietly, not sure if that was a good thing to say.

Abigail then grew serious. "You can come but don't get in our way." She stated sternly.

"I won't." I answered.

We sat around a table and I enjoyed the warmth of the heated place, placing my frozen hands under my legs to warm them up. They both ordered a big piece of cake with rich chocolate dressing. I was sure they were trying to tempt me. They both commented on how delicious it was as they ate. I really wanted to ask if they would share, and I knew it was futile, yet decided to ask anyway. I looked at Megan.

"Um… may I try a little piece, please?"

Megan looked at me with a hint of surprise before frowning. "Hell no! Get your own." She retorted indignantly.

"But you know I have no money." I argued warily.

"Well, tough." She replied, and kept eating her cake, smirking at me for each bite.

"Yeah, you'd better stop acting like a spoiled brat." Abigail commented.

Now I was growing angry. "What?" my mouth hung open and I frowned. "I asked nicely! I'm not acting spoiled, you are!"

"Hey!" Abigail barked. "You'd better respect us or you know what will happen if you don't." She said, ending her sentence with a smug smile.

_Yes. Yes I do._ I thought. Even though they bullied me, they were the only ones who were willing to talk to me. If they started to ignore me like everyone else, I would definitely be alone. That is what frightens me the most: to be abandoned; to forever be a social outcast. I can't stand being alone. I have feelings like every one else.

And so for the rest of the day I kept quiet. Same goes for the rest of the trip: I just kept to myself most of the time. Abigail and Megan would switch back and forth from ignoring me to bulling me. One time we had to leave our bags and lunches in the bus. Bad idea. When I got back to the bus I noticed that my stuff had been thrown out the window. I quickly managed to retrieve it before the bus took off. I sat down near my window and ate my lunch. But as I was eating I thought about what had happened and noticed a pattern in the bullying; Abigail and Megan would ignore me when we were alone and bully me when we were around other students.

At last, the day to go back home had finally come. Most of the students were saying that the trip was too short and they whined about wanting to stay longer. But for me it was a relief. I couldn't wait to be back home and see my cat again, to whom I could complain too about my terrible journey.

Yet it wasn't going to be a smooth ride home. After a few house of road trip it was soon the middle of the night. Everyone was tired, including me. But a surprise was awaiting me. Once everyone was asleep and just as I was drifting off to sleep, Abigail and Megan came up to me and told me that they wanted to have a chat with me and asked me to follow them to the back of the bus. My eyes widened in surprise and I was instantly wide awake. They never come up to me for a discussion. Usually it's either me who seeks their attention, or they come to bully me. So I was very intrigued, and followed without a second thought. Once we sat down I asked "Yes?"

They looked at each other briefly before Abigail addressed me.

"Listen. You have to change the way you are or else you will always be a bully magnet." Abigail was watching intensely at me as she said that.

I stared back at her, perplexed. "What do you mean? Change what?"

"Everything!" She stated, as if it were obvious, then added. "Your clothes, your personality…" She trailed off, thinking about what else I could change.

Then I grew angry. "What is that suppose to mean? I wear shoes, jeans, a shirt, a sweater, a coat, like everyone else! Just because I'm not wearing the latest fashion is a reason to bully me? And what do you have against my personality? What did I do wrong?" I knew I was on the brim of tears and bit my lip to try and prevent myself from crying, but it wasn't working.

Abigail on the other hand was on the brim of rage. It looked like she was about to shout something but just then Megan, who was sitting next to me, grabbed my shoulders.

"Don't you get it?" She snapped in a hushed voice, keeping a tight grip on my shoulders. "We _have_ to bully you! Because if we don't the others will see that as a sign of weakness from our part, and think that we are taking your side!"

"And what's wrong with that?" I squeaked, taken aback by her sudden aggression.

"Keh!" She shoved me away. "We don't want to be outcasts too."

But before I could say anything Abigail, who had regained her composure, cut me off.

"If you don't want to change, that's your problem. But be warned that if you choose to not change when we get back, then you will lose both our support." She said, giving me a cold glare, then added, "Now leave."

I stayed there for a few seconds, too baffled by what had just happened. Then as reality sunk in, I felt the dread crawling up inside me. _This is it,_ I thought. _Now I'm definitely alone._

"I said leave." Abigail repeated, in a low growl this time.

I got up and silently went back to my seat. I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to sleep, since I was exhausted, but the feeling of dread over what had just happened prevented sleep from coming, so I sat there, leaning my head against the window and stared blankly at the trees passing by and the rolling hills. _This is the end._ I thought finally.

_Lonely,_

_I'm Mr Lonely,_

_I have nobody,_

_For my own,_

_I'm Mr Lonely_

_I have nobody,_

_For my own,_

_I'm so lonely,_

I was now back home. I went straight to my room. My cat was waiting for me on my bed, like usual. I knelt at the edge of my bed and wrapped my arms around her. I laid my head on her soft black fur and listened to her rhythmic purr that she would do for me when I felt down.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I mumbled through a mouthful of fur. Of course she didn't answer and kept purring steadily.

After a while I got up and went to sit on my chair, rocking back and forth with my hands behind my head.

"What did I ever do to deserve this?" Anger slowly rose up inside me. I stopped rocking and leaned forward with my elbows resting on my knees, staring at my cat. "What's wrong with the way I am?" I glared at my cat as if demanding an answer from her.

"If you really want to know, I will help you."

Suddenly my heart stopped for a second and I stared at my cat wide-eyed. _Did my cat just talk?_ I wondered. I shook my head. _That's impossible. I must be hearing things._

"Although, I will grant you only one chance. Use it well."

I blinked twice. This time I was sure I heard a voice. But there was no one else in my room beside my cat and I.

"Blackstar… did you just talk?" I asked, completely bewildered.

"It's more complicated than that, but if you want… yes." My cat was staring intensely at me. It was very weird to see because she wasn't moving her mouth. In fact, now that I think about it, it was more like telepathy.

"What? How?" I inquired, still trying to get used to that fact that I was talking to my cat.

"I'm your guardian angel. But I have no physical form, so to be able to talk to you directly, I took over your cat for now."

I stayed silent, not knowing how to react to that. But before I could do or say anything else, I felt the room around me slowly disappear.

I instantly shot up from my chair. "What's going on?!" I yelled in panic.

"Do not worry. You will be temporarily put into transitional space, which is like a gap between dimensions, that will lead you to the other dimension."

Just as she had finished her sentence, my room, my cat and everything else had completely disappeared. I was surrounded by whiteness. Everything was white. I was floating in emptiness. I was too terrified to think clearly. The one word that kept resonating in my head was _Help!_

Suddenly I was out of the blankness. I was now floating high up in the sky. But the floating only lasted 3 seconds before I felt myself falling down rapidly.

"AAAHHH!" I yelled in terror. I felt the wind rushing by me and felt gravity pulling towards me hard. I stared, my eyes wide in horror, at the ground rushing up towards me. There were some small stretches of grass and rows of houses. I noticed that I was heading straight for one particular house.

"NOOO!" I screamed as I realized I would smash onto the roof of this house any second.

I put my arms in front of me and squeezed my eyes shut as I braced myself for the impact. But it never came. And instead I felt the oddest feeling; it was as if I could feel the roof all around my body as it zipped past me. I snapped my eyes open and just before I hit the ground I saw a flash of reddish-orange carpet before I crashed to the ground. Everything went black as I slowly felt myself losing consciousness. But before I lost total consciousness, one thought lingered in my mind. _Did I just go _through_ the roof ?!_

When I woke up, I opened my eyes and noticed I was lying on my back on what seemed like a comfy sofa with a blanket lying on top of me. _I'm pretty sure I didn't land like this. I fell to the ground face first. So someone must have put me here. _I thought.

"You're finally awake." A quiet voice spoke. My eye widened and I sat straight up, looking for the owner of the voice. I looked to my left and noticed a young man sitting on a chair with a book open on his lap. He had straight blond hair on top that ended with curves, which nearly reached his shoulders, with a long curl sticking out of his hair making a loop. He had pale purple eyes behind thin-wire rim glasses. _Wait…Purple eyes? That's impossible!_ Suddenly my eyes widened in realization. _Oh. My. God! It's Canada! How in heavens did I end up in Canada's house? That's impossible; He's a fictional character! There is no way I could meet him!_ Suddenly it hit me and I let out a small gasp. _Is this what she meant when she said I would cross dimensions?_

Canada put the book down on the small table next to him and got up, coming towards me.

"Who are you and how did you get here?" He asked, stopping right in front of me.

I thought for a moment._ Well apparently my guardian angel took the form of my cat and with her magical powers sent me crashing down into your house… What I don't know though is how I'm going to get back._ But I wasn't going to tell him that. He'd think I was insane. Then again, this is Hetalia we're talking about. His life is already insane.

"I…" I started, but couldn't finish, and looked down. My head was spinning with all the extraordinary things that had happened to me in a short amount of time. Tears started falling down my cheeks. _Crap! Why am I crying?_ I thought sternly.

He crouched down and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."

I lifted my head and stared into his troubled lavender eyes.

"But you're trespassing, and I would like to know what you're doing here. Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

_He's so nice. If an intruder had suddenly barged into my house, I probably wouldn't have been as accepting,_ I thought.

"I… don't remember." I lied. "I think I hit my head."

He looked disappointed but didn't ask more details. He stud up once again. "I'll bring you back home. Do you remember where you live?"

"Where are we?" I inquired.

"In Ottawa." He replied.

I gasped. _Wow! I've always dreamt of visiting Canada! And Here I am now_! "Actually you can't… I… uh… live very far away!" I said, hopping he wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Where do you live?" He asked, giving me a suspicious look. I couldn't blame him. He was probably wondering how I wandered into his house if I lived far away.

"I don't remember exactly… But I know it's not here." I quickly responded. Then I threw the blanket off me and swung my legs off the sofa so as to sit and face him properly, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Please, can you just let me stay here for a while until I feel better? I promise I won't be a burden!" I begged, clasping my hands together.

He looked back at me with big round confused eyes. I could see he was quarrelling with himself; wondering whether or not he should let me stay.

"Well… I guess you can stay." He said at last, a bit hesitant.

I instantly jumped up and embraced him tightly. "Thank you so much!" I cheered.

He gently pushed me away and I saw a small blush appear on his cheeks. "Y-You're welcome." He mumbled.

I took a step back, a bit embarrassed with myself.

"My name is Matthew. What's yours?" He inquired.

"I-" _Wait. He thinks I'm amnesiac. Might as well play it all the way._ "I don't remember…" I muttered.

"You must have hit your head pretty badly." He commented, frowning.

"Yeah…" I agreed. "But you can call me what you want. I don't mind."

He looked taken aback. "Really?"

"Yeah!" I added, grinning.

"Well…" He looked up, searching his mind for a name. But he quickly looked back at me and smiled. "How about Maotia?"

"That's a nice and unusual name! Why did you choose that one?" I asked, curious now.

"It's a Native American name, from our Indian tribes." He stated.

"Oh." I said, my smile slowly disappeared as I was lost in thought, thinking about the reason for this. _Why would he choose a Native American name?_ Then an idea came to mind and my smile came back. _I probably remind him of the times before the Europeans had arrived; a time where he didn't know yet who he was, and was searching for himself._

The more I watched him the more the warm feeling in my heart grew. He was such a kind and caring person. _Wait a second… I can't start having feelings for him! He's not real! But right now he is… But at some point I will have to go back home! Back to reality. I can't stay here forever._ At that last thought, I felt an ache in my heart.

_I'm in love with a fairytale,_

_Even though it hurts._

'_Cause I don't care if I lose my mind,_

_I'm already cursed._

"Hey," He snapped me out of my daydreaming. "How about some breakfast, eh?" He asked.

I grinned. "Yeah!" I paused. "Wait, what time is it?" I inquired.

"Almost 9" He answered, walking down the hall towards the kitchen. I followed him.

"Really? How long was I asleep?"

"I found you last night."

"Oh…" I said.

We had arrived in the kitchen. "I hope you like pancakes." He said, a little tense.

"Yeah! I love pancakes!" I replied.

He sighed and smiled back at me. Then signaled for me to have a seat.

"I can help you if you want?" I said.

He shook his head. "No, it's fine. You're my guest."

So I sat down.

I watched as he put on a white and red apron and started cooking. He cooked with swift delicate movements and in no time finished, bringing me a plate of perfectly round pancakes.

"This looks fantastic!" I exclaimed.

He gave me a shy smile as he put the silverware and maple syrup down on the table too. He then took a plate full of pancakes for himself and sat down across from me.

I watched as he submerged his pancakes with maple syrup and I let out a chuckle. "I really like maple syrup too, but even I don't put that much!"

He simpered and waited for me to start. I poured myself some syrup too and then started eating.

"Hmmm - This is delicious!" I mumbled though my mouthful, then swallowed. "My favorite pancakes are the blueberry-filled ones. What about you?"

"I like them all." He replied and then started eating.

The rest of the meal was silent. I felt a bit self-conscious, not knowing what to say. I've never been very talkative. But Matthew didn't seem to mind the silence. Once we had finished I helped clear away the dishes.

"What would you like to do?" He asked me.

"Can we visit the city? This is my first time being in Ottawa and I'd like to explore a bit."

"Ok. Let's do that." He said.

So we left. We spent the whole day being tourists. He first took me to see the Changing of the Guard, which I found fascinating. Then we walked around town for a while, stopping once to get some ice cream. He showed me the main buildings, and my eyes were big and round the whole time. I regretted not having my camera with me. We walked past the _Château Laurier _and when we past the _Rideau Canal_ I asked if we could go on the boat tour. So we did. And it was amazing! I also got to learn a bit of Canadian history; as we past certain buildings, the guide would tell us about the history of these buildings.

Then, as evening was settling in, he took me to one last spectacular event: The Mosaika Light Show at Parliament Hill. We settled down in the grass with the other people as we waited for it to start. There was some music playing in the distance. I recognized the song.

_I got a man to stick it out,_

_And make a home from a rented house._

_And we'll collect the moments one by one,_

_I guess that's how the future's done._

As I listened to the song I looked up to the dark sky and saw the full moon floating above.

"You'll like this, I'm sure." Matthew said softly.

I turned my head to look at him. He was staring back at me with his beautiful lavender eyes, a small smile adorning his face.

I blushed slightly and looked away. "Y-Yeah…" I replied.

Just then the show started. My eyes widened as I watched it. It started with an optical illusion of the clock falling down and crashing. Then they were showing the nature landscape of Canada. I was mesmerized throughout the whole show. I couldn't turn away from it.

It ended with a big Canadian flag and everyone started clapping. I joined in. Then I turned to Matthew.

"That was amazing!" I cheered, still clapping.

"I knew you'd like it." He affirmed. Then after a pause he got up and gave me his hand, which I took and he pulled me up. Then we headed back to his house.

"Thank you so much for showing me all this. I had a wonderful time today!" I told him as we walked down the street.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I got to do it too, it has been an eternity since I toured the city." He replied.

When we got home it was time for dinner. He told me I could just relax, read a book or watch TV or anything, but I told him no.

"Please let me help you! I really want to help you make dinner!" I begged.

It didn't take long for him to accept.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed.

So we went to the kitchen.

"What do you want to make?" I asked.

"How about _un gratin dauphinois?"_ He inquired. Then added. "It's something I used to do a lot with my papa."

I smiled. "Sure. You'll just have to show me what to do."

"Don't worry. It's easy." He assured. "Although, I'll do a variation of it with vegetables too. The main dished only has potatoes." He added as he put on his apron and handed me a checked one, which I put on. He went to take out what we needed.

"Let's see. We need potatoes, _des patates douces _– I mean sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and… zucchini. Here, why don't you peel and cut the potatoes." He handed them to me. I did as I was told.

"Could you cut them in round slices?" He asked. I nodded. While I was doing this he preheated the oven, prepared the utensils and took out an oven dish in which he spread some garlic clove. Then started peeling and cutting the vegetables. When I was done I asked what else I could do.

"Could you get me some salt and pepper please?" He said. I looked around, opening a few cupboards but couldn't find it.

"Where is it?" I asked. He looked up to me.

"Oh sorry… It's in that cupboard, over there." He pointed to it. I took them out and handed it to him but he told me to put them down next to him.

"Ok. So now we're going to do layers; one layer of potatoes and some salt and pepper, then one layer of vegetables and salt and pepper, and so on." So we did that. I put the potatoes and then he put the vegetables. Then he added some cream on top and shook the dish slightly so as to spread it evenly. Then added a pat of butter on top and popped the whole in the oven.

"There." He stated, then added. "I was thinking of cooking some beef to accompany it, with a side dish of salad."

"Ok." I agreed.

"Could you take care of the salad?" He asked.

"Yeah." I took out some salad and started washing it, while he took out some beef and a pan, in which he poured a drop of olive oil.

"Could I add some cucumbers in the salad?" I inquired.

"Sure." He replied. "Make it how you want."

Once I had finished with the salad he was almost done with the beef.

"Could you set the table? The plates are in that cupboard and the silverware in that drawer, and the glasses are there." He pointed to them. I took them out and started setting the table, placing the salad in a bowl next to the plates. I went back to the kitchen.

"So, let's see if the gratin is done." He stated and opened the oven, peering inside. "Yep. It's done." He took it out cautiously, and brought it to the table. Then we settled down.

"Wow! It all looks so delicious!" I exclaimed. "You're a great cook Matthew!"

"You helped out too." He commented.

"Yeah, but you did most of it."

Then we started eating. After a few minutes I was lost in thought, musing about todays events. _I haven't done an activity with someone else in ages. If only I could stay like this forever._ I thought.

_You're getting sadder, sadder, getting sadder, sadder  
Don't understand, and I don't understand…_

"Is something wrong?" Matthew asked.

"Huh?" I looked up at him, a bit startled.

"You're not eating… and you're frowning." He looked concerned.

_I am?_ I thought.

"Oh… well… I was just lost in thought. I haven't cooked with someone in ages. In fact I haven't done any activity with someone else in a long time."

"Do you live alone?" He asked.

"No… I live with my mom. My parents got divorced long ago, when I was a toddler so I don't remember much. Dad left then and I never saw him again. Mom works late and when she comes home, she shuts herself in her room and rarely comes out…" I trailed off.

"Oh…" I could see he was searching for something to say. "But you have friends right? Don't you go out with them some times?"

I didn't know how to answer that. For a minute I looked down and just stared at my plat. I could feel my eyes becoming moist and bit my lip. "No," I whispered. "I don't have any friends." Then tears started falling down my cheeks and I couldn't stop it.

"I-I'm sorry!" He stammered. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

I shook my head, still looking down. "No, it's not your fault." I whimpered. My voice started cracking and I couldn't control it.

Then I shot my head up and stared straight into his anxious eyes. "I don't know what to do!" I said, in a clearer voice, yet tears were still falling down. "People either ignore me or bully me and I don't know how to make it stop! I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm nice to people, I don't insult them or hurt them… yet… yet they all hate me!" I ended in a wail.

Then I saw his eyes soften and he gave me a reassuring smile.

"I see. Now I understand."

"Huh?" I said, puzzled.

He paused before continuing. "I've noticed that you're quite sensitive and you easily get emotional. Now I know why. You've had a hard life."

I looked down, embarrassed that he had to see this part of me. I tried as hard as I could to be cheery all the time but it was all for nothing. _I'm done for… once again._ I thought.

_But if I kiss you where it's sore,  
If I kiss you where it's sore,  
Will you feel better, better, better?  
Will you feel anything at all?_

Suddenly I felt myself being pulled up and arms wrapped around me as I leaned against his chest. He placed a gentile kiss on the top of my head. I blinked a few time in surprise, completely baffled. But the feeling of surprise was quickly replaced by a warm reassuring feeling. I haven't felt the comforting embrace of another body against mine in ages, which brought back a nostalgic feeling of my childhood and the protective arms that used to hold me. And now I strongly yearned for it. I boldly wrapped my arms around him too, and gripped tightly, burring my face deeper into his chest. I could hear the reassuring rhythmic beats of his heart. He gently stroked my back a few times. _If only this moment could last forever…_

"Don't worry. I'll help you." He whispered.

_Huh?_ I bemused. I leaned away a bit, though still holding onto him, so as to look at him straight in the eyes. "What? But how?" I inquired softly.

He pulled away from me so I had to let go, feeling a bit disappointed.

"I'll help you with you're problem." He hesitated for a second before continuing. "I was going to tell you after diner, but I might as will tell you now. Tomorrow I'm going to meet some friends; we're going ice-skating. I was going to ask you if you wanted to join, but now it's not a question, it's an order. That way I will see how you are around people and I'll give you some advice if you need it."

"Oh…" I couldn't find anything else to say. I was surprised by his request. "Ok." I added.

"Now, why don't we finish our dinner, eh?" He signaled to the table. I nodded and we settled down.

But after a few minutes I spoke up.

"Though, let me tell you that I'm really bad at skating. It's been a long time since I've ice-skated; I used to go ice-skating as a child."

He smiled. "It's ok, I'll teach you."

After dinner we cleared away the table and dishes.

"I have a guest room you can use, you don't have to sleep on the sofa again. And I don't have any girl clothes but I could lend you pajamas and a toothbrush if you want?" He offered. I nodded.

He showed me around, showing me the different parts of the house, gave me what I needed, and then led me to the guest room.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." He said before leaving.

I changed clothes and jumped to bed, sliding under the covers. I was thinking about what had happened today and felt a bit anxious at what was awaiting for me tomorrow, but quickly drifted off to sleep.

The next day, when I woke up I was slightly confused as to where I was, but a split second later everything came back to me. I looked at the clock; it read 8 a.m. I got up, dressed, brushed my hair and headed down the hall to the living room but saw no one there. Then I heard noise in the kitchen and headed for it. The aroma of delicious pancakes came to my nose before I saw what was going on. When I went in, he immediately greeted me.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Perfectly well, thanks!" I replied, with a large smile. He was by the stove, busily cooking pancakes. I watched in fascination as he smoothly flipped the pancake over.

"Go ahead and start breakfast. I'll be with you in a moment." He said.

"It's ok, I can wait for you." I replied as I pulled a chair to have a seat. I leaned over, my elbows resting on the table and my face resting in the palms of my hands.

After a minute, he served the pancakes and settled down too. We ate in silence. But then as we cleared the table he told me that we would be leaving soon.

"Go do what you need to do, and be reading in 10 minutes."

On the way to the skating rink I felt uneasy, and the closer we got, the more uneasy I felt. Matthew saw that, because he told me "Relax. There's nothing to worry about. It's just an outing."

"But what if I screw up?!" I countered.

"You won't." He assured.

We had finally arrived to the meeting place and I saw that we were heading straight for a group of three people.

"Hi guys!" Matthew called out.

"Hey Matt. How's it going?" The other man greeted. Then added. "I see you've brought a friend."

"Yep. Her name is Maotia." Matthew stated.

I took that as a signal for me to say something. "Please to meet you." I said.

The other guy extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too." I took his hand and he shook it once. "My name is Thomas."

"I'm Katherine." A young girl exclaimed, almost jumping in front of me and took my hand, shaking it vigorously.

"And I'm Jake." The third person said, giving me a curt nod. He had more of a composed demeanor, which contrasted with his more dynamic friends.

"So, are we going or what?" Katherine declared, grinning from ear to ear.

Jake rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, let's get going." Thomas agreed.

So we left.

When we got there I was surprised to see no one. The rink was completely empty. Jake told me that they could reserve it, which had surprised me. _They must be super rich… _I thought._ I mean; they reserved an entire ice-rink!_ Matthew paid the rented skates for me and we headed to the rink. I hesitated a long time before going in.

"Come on." Matthew urged, he was standing in front of me but already in the rink. The others where already skating their hearts out. They all looked like professionals, which made me even more embarrassed of making a fool out of myself.

I gripped the edge and cautiously placed one foot then the other, moving slowly, taking small steps, still clinging on to the wall that came up to my waist. Once the others saw I was in the rink they came up to me in delicate swift movements.

"Is this you're first time?" Katherine asked.

"Not really… It's just I haven't skated in a long time." I answered, still too scared to leave the security of the wall.

"Oh, I see." She replied.

"Why don't you let go of the wall and try skating by yourself?" Thomas commented. "The worst that can happen is you fall."

They took some distance from me, went to the center of the rink and stopped there, patiently waited for me to come.

"Come join us! I know you can do it!" Katherine called out.

Matthew opened his arms out. "Come on. I'll catch you." He said, grinning, and for a second it seemed to me that his grin closely resembled a smirk. _Maybe it's just my imagination._ I thought.

Suddenly an idea came to mind. I flashed them a smile.

"Oh yeah? Well don't say I didn't warn you!" I gathered my energy and sprang forward at full speed. I saw a flash of shock and surprise cross their faces, but it didn't last.

I was heading straight for Matthew but suddenly, without warning he dodged to the left and I kept going straight.

"What? WHAT! Why did you move? AAAHHH! I don't know how to stop! Help m- oof!" I let out a gasp as the wall slammed into my stomach, making me almost somersault forward. I was halfway leaning over the edge, with my feet hovering above the ground, but managed to stop the fall with my hands and slowly placed my feet back down in the rink.

Everyone started laughing, even Jake joined in. I turned around, pouting. Then I turned to Matthew and gave him an angry glare.

"You we're planning on sidestepping me from the start, weren't you?" I accused in indignation.

"What does it matter?" He chuckled. "You obviously know how to skate."

"No; correction: charging like a mad bull is not skating." I countered, but then smiled.

They laughed again and I joined in this time. I slowly went up to them, knowing that if I went to fast I wouldn't be able to stop.

"But, how do you stop?" I asked.

"Here, I'll show you." Thomas replied. He glided a few feet away. "You need to put one foot perpendicularly from you're other foot, making a 90 degree angled. Like this." He put one foot behind the other and almost instantly stopped. Then he turned around and came back towards us. "It's easy." He said, then added, "Now you try it."

I skated forward a bit and tried doing as he did. I managed to slow down a bit but not come to a full stop. I tried it again and this time managed to stop completely.

"Hey, I can do it! Haha!" I exclaimed. I slowly turned around, not as smoothly as Thomas though, and had to make a long arc round to come back.

"I have an idea." Matthew said, just as I had returned. "Why don't we play a short game of hockey?"

"I knew you we're going to say that…" Jake asserted.

"When did we ever go ice-skating with Matthew and NOT play hockey?" Thomas joked.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Katherine beamed.

"Um… I've never played hockey before…" I stated, embarrassed.

"That's ok, it's easy, you'll see." Katherine reassured, smiling back at me.

Matthew went to get the equipment. Meanwhile Katherine explained to me how to play. Then Matthew came back and handed a hockey stick to each of us, also handing the puck to Jake.

"The first team to reach 10 points wins." Matthew said, then after a short pause added, "I'll take Katherine with me and you three can be together."

"But that would be two against three." I responded, frowning.

"It's ok." Jake came to stand next to me. I turned my head towards him and my frown disappeared. "Matt is a champion at this. He counts as two people." He smiled. I nodded.

We spread out a bit. Then Matthew called out; "When you guys are ready we can start." He said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. _I can see he really likes hockey, _I thought. Then he turned to me and added. "Since you're a beginner, I'll give you a head start."

A few seconds later Jake dropped the puck and skated off. I instantly dashed towards the puck, easily managing to take possession of it. But suddenly, out of nowhere someone zipped past me and the next thing I noticed was that the puck had disappeared. I stopped. "What?" I blurt out, then swung my head around and noticed Matthew was heading straight for our goal at full speed. I turned around and scrambled towards him. "No!" I yelled but knew I would be too late.

Thomas rushed to block him, and for a second I thought it was safe, but Matthew easily evaded him and continued on, shooting the puck straight towards the goal. However Jake was fiercely guarding it and he fired back the puck towards the center of the rink. _Yes!_ I thought. I ran straight towards the puck, but when I was less than a foot away from it, Katherine whisked past me from my left, snatching it away from me. She passed it to Matthew who effortlessly took it and went for another attack. This time he got closer to the goal for a better aim and when he shot it Jake couldn't stop it.

"Yeah!" Matthew and Katherine cheered in unison.

This time Thomas was the first to hold the puck. He swiftly moved towards the opposing goal, which had no protection at the moment. But Matthew rapidly gained up on him and tried to block him. However, just then Thomas sent the puck towards me, which I hurriedly seized, utterly astonished that I had managed to catch it. I quickly glanced up and saw Matt rushing towards me. I wanted to send it back to Thomas but Matthew was in between us and I knew that there wasn't much time; soon he would come and snatch it away. So I decided to take the chance of shooting it towards the goal even though I was quite far away from it.

I did so. Matthew instantly stopped two feet away from me and turned to watch the scene intensely. For a second I thought I would score, amazed at how accurate my shooting was, but milliseconds before it reached the goal, Katherine, who seemed to be coming out of nowhere, shove it away, making it bounce right off the wall.

"Nice shooting." Matthew gave me a wink before rushing off. I stood there a second, completely baffled, before joining them. Thomas managed to take control of the puck again and moved swiftly towards the goal. Katherine tried to block him but he dodged and quickly made a shot, making it enter straight into the goal.

"Yes!" I exclaimed, skating towards Thomas. "Good work." I told him.

"You too." He replied and gave me a high five.

The game continued on with both teams making some points, but in the end Matthew's team won by far: with 10 against 4.

"Hell yeah! Canada for the win!" Matthew jumped up in the air.

I watched in amazement, with my mouth hanging open, at Matthew's sudden change of personality. Then turned my head towards the others to see their reaction.

Jake smiled back at me and shrugged. "Don't worry, he likes to call himself Canada sometimes."

I nodded, accepting that answer, but still wondered if they actually knew that Matthew was the human personification of their country.

Then I smiled. "Yeah, it was great! I haven't had so much fun in ages!" I declared, my smile broadening to a grin.

Katherine came up to me. "You were great!" She said, giving me a light tape on the shoulder.

I blushed, embarrassed. "I don't know if you can say that…"

"No, it's true!" She argued. "You managed to shoot a goal in your very first hockey game!"

"Yeah… I guess…" I simpered, fiddling with my fingers.

"I think we should be heading back. We've been here a long time." Matthew said.

We got out of the rink and I gave my skates back, then we headed out. On the way back everyone was talking about today's events. I was really happy I got to come along. It was another great adventure for me.

"Well, this is where we part ways." Matthew said to his friends. They said bye to him and then turned to me.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, and I hope we can meet again." Jake smiled at me.

"Yeah, I hope so too." I replied, also smiling.

Thomas took my hand and shook it. "You're kind of shy but you're really fun to be with. I hope we can go ice-skating again together." He said.

"I'd like that." I agreed.

Katherine practically jumped on me and gave me a tight hug. Then, when she let go, she said. "See you!"

And we left.

For a short while we walked back in silence. Then I spoke up.

"I had a really fun time! Thank you so much for bringing me!" I told Matthew, then added. "And you're really good at hockey!"

He gave me an embarrassed smiled. "I got a little carried away back there." He rubbed the back of his head.

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I like seeing you're other side too." I answered.

Then he grew serious and stared straight into my eyes. "There's nothing wrong with you." He said.

"Huh?" I was taken aback.

"You just need to have more confidence in yourself, and when something or someone is bothering you, you need to clearly state it. The confidence will come when it will come; gradually. You just need to feel more at ease with yourself and know that there will always be people to help you in times of trouble. You've just proven to me that you can make friends. I'm sure you will find the right people for you." He smiled. "You're not alone." He declared at last.

I was touched by his words and could feel tears falling down, but they were happy tears this time. "Th-Thank you…" I whimpered. Then I wiped my tears and took in a long breath. "Thank you." I said more clearly, with a bright smile. "I'll try my best." I stated in a more confident tone.

_Your time here is over. Say goodbye to him so that I can bring you back._ A voice said in my head. I could easily guess who it was.

_But… Can't I stay a little longer?_ I plead silently.

_No._ The voice stated firmly. _You know that you are not part of this world and can never be part of it. Now, if you don't say goodbye to him now I will have to teleport you back right in front of him and that could cause great damage to this dimension, creating a paradox, since you weren't even suppose to be here in the first place. It could lead to destruction, completely ending this world."_ She pause, then added. _"And you wouldn't want anything happening to him, would you?_

She knew I had to comply.

_That's blackmail,_ I thought, morose.

The voice laughed in my head. _You've always been easy to manipulate. _

_Will I be able to come back? _

The voice didn't answer. But I already knew the answer all too well.

We had arrived back at Matthew's place. I stopped in front of his door. He opened the door and was about to go in when he noticed I wasn't joining him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, a little worried, seeing that I was firmly rooted to my spot and wasn't making any move to go in. He walked back to me.

"Actually… I-" I stopped myself. My heart was aching so much right now. _I don't want to leave you…_ I finished in my head.

"Yes?" He encouraged.

I smiled back at him, trying to sound cheerful. "I'll be going back home now." I stated, as confidently as I could even though I was dying inside.

"Oh." I could see his disappointment, but he quickly pushed it away and smiled back at me. "I understand." He said.

Instantly, without thinking I rushed to embrace him tightly, and he wrapped his arms around me too. I gripped firmly, not wanting to ever let go, burring my face deeper in his chest.

"I'm going to miss you." I mumbled.

"I will too." He replied softly, and placed a light kiss on my head.

_I never loved nobody fully  
Always one foot on the ground  
And by protecting my heart truly  
I got lost in the sounds  
I hear in my mind  
All these voices  
I hear in my mind all these words  
I hear in my mind all this music_

_And it breaks my heart_  
_And it breaks my heart_  
_And it breaks my heart_  
_It breaks my heart_

_And suppose I never ever met you_  
_Suppose we never fell in love_  
_Suppose I never ever let you kiss me so sweet and so soft_  
_Suppose I never ever saw you_  
_Suppose we never ever called_  
_Suppose I kept on singing love songs just to break my own fall_  
_Just to break my fall_  
_Just to break my fall_  
_Break my fall_  
_Break my fall_

_All my friends say that of course its gonna get better_  
_Gonna get better_  
_Better better better better_  
_Better better better!_

Finally, after what seemed like seconds to me but was actually minutes, we parted. We said goodbye to one another one last time, and then I walked away and he went into his house.

"There… you happy now?" I muttered, clearly upset.

The voice didn't answer my complaint and continued to give me directions. _Just continue walking a bit until we're sure no one is watching you. Head for that park ahead._

When it was safe, she teleported me back to my room, telling me that in the real world only seconds have passed. My cat was still lying on my bed, acting as if nothing had happened. Then again, she was just a cat. She couldn't understand what had happened when I had suddenly disappeared.

"I hope that trip has served its purpose." My cat said, still without moving her mouth.

"Wait a minute." I countered. "You we're able to talk to me without a body in the other dimension. So why are you using my cat?" I demanded.

_I don't need a body._ This time the voice was in my head. _It's just easier for humans to communicate if they have another body they can associate with._

I sat down, thinking about everything that had happened. "So, what should I do now?" I asked.

No reply. I started to feel uneasy. "Hello?" I said. Still nothing. I got up. "Why aren't you answering?" I demanded, panicked and started pacing back and forth. "Did you leave too?" I wondered aloud.

_Nonsense. I will always be with you. I am you're guardian angel after all. I've been with you all along…_ The voice trailed off, fading more and more after each word, and by the end of the sentence it had completely faded away.

I sat back down on my chair, musing about everything that had happened to me.

And from then on I never saw the world the same way.

_Puisqu´on se perd pour mieux s´unir,__  
__Puisqu´on ne tient plus au présent.__  
_

* * *

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." - Dr Seuss

* * *

_**Disclaimer 2:** I didn't want to put that at the top because I didn't want to spoil the surprise of what songs I would use._

_I do not own the songs I used._

_Songs used in order: Lonely by Akon, Fairytale by Alexander Rybak, Mushaboom by Feist, Better by Regina Spektor, Fidelity by Regina Spektor, Pour mieux s'unir by Auden,_

_**Translation:** __Puisqu´on se perd pour mieux s´unir = Since we lose ourselves to better reunite ourselves._

_____Puisqu´on ne tient plus au présent. = Since we don't hang on to the present. _

_**Author's Note: **Hope you liked it ! By the way, if you find it weird that Canada would kiss a stranger, I say it's his French side showing. :P_

_Please Review ! This is my very first long story (I usually do short one-shots) and I'm very eager to know you're opinion about it !_


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